Hello All, Grace and Peace be to you from our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

Sorry, I am behind a few days, I was ill one day, and playing catching up the next few, so without delay...the next children's story.

Gita: Girl of Bangladesh

Gita lived with her family in a house made of bamboo, with a grass roof and mud floor. They lived in a small village on the edge of the jungle in Bangladesh. Across the river from the village, some people were building a house. Debindra Das, Gita's father, wondered who they were. Climbing into a small boat, Debindra rowed himself across the river. He discovered that the new people were going to stay, and they would need help washing their clothes and keeping their house clean.

Every morning Debindra rowed across the river and went to work. He watched and listened to what went on among these new people. They did not have statues or pictures of gods on the walls. They did not have a shelf where sacrifices were made to keep the gods happy. But many times these strange people bowed their heads and talked out loud to their GOD.

Debindra learned that these people had come from a faraway country to tell people in Bangladesh about the GOD WHOM they loved and worshiped. This GOD created the world and all the beautiful things in it. Then HE made people because HE wanted someone to love HIM. Even though people did bad things and did not love GOD, GOD still loved them. Debindra couldn't understand it all, but he kept listening. This GOD was different from his own gods. One day Debindra heard that the missionaries were leaving. Some were sick; and some were going to live in the city. Gita's father wondered how he would learn more about the LORD JESUS after the missionaries left.

Then one of the missionaries came to him and said, "Debindra, I will need help in my house in the city. Would you and your family come and live in the city too?"

Would he? Of course he would! This was the most exciting thing that had ever happened! Quickly he rowed back across the river to tell his family the good news.

At last the missionaries and Debindra's family were ready. They climbed into long, low dugout canoes for the long journey down the river. Monkeys chattered in the trees; the children in the boat played together and slept.

All too soon the peaceful part of the trip was over. Everyone left canoes and climbed into a huge, dirty, smelly bus. The bus rattled and swayed and sputtered as it dodged cows and goats and bicycles and a few cars on the road. Finally the group reached another river. But what was that monster on the other side of the river?

Actually, the monster was a train, but Gita and her family had never seen a train. It was as noisy and smelly as the bus. Finally the steam monster chug-chugged into the stationed and bumped to a stop.

Gita's house in the city was very near the train tracks, and soon the noisy engine didn't bother the family anymore. Then late one night, the family heard a sound much worse than the roar of the train. All day the sky had been a funny yellow color. By evening it was raining. Thunder rumbled and lighting flashed. The wind began to howl. Stronger and stronger the wind blew. . Grass roofs blew off houses. Tin roofs hurled through the night air, knocking down anything in their path. Mud walls crumbled under the lashing of the rain.

When morning came, the storm was over. As far as you could seem there was nothing but water and ruin and destruction.

A cyclone had roared through the city and destroyed everything in its path. Nearly everything Debindra's family had brought from their village home had been washed away. The little family huddled together on a pile of bricks while Debindra waded and swam to the missionary 's house. Even in that solid house windows were broken and screened porches stripped bare. After the water had gone down, Debindra took his family to live in a warm, dry room over the garage at the missionary's house.

One night Debindra finally understood that JESUS had died for him. He bowed his head and asked JESUS CHRIST to be his SAVIOR. How peaceful and happy he felt! But his family was not happy! Gita stood in front of her father and stubbornly declared, "I was born a Hindu. I will remain a Hindu. I will never change my religion as you have done."

Quietly Debindra told the family, "I cannot make you Christians. But you must know that never again will there be an idol in my house."

Each morning Debindra now gathered his family from their chores to come into the missionary's house. Even Gita loved to sing the choruses and hear the stories, but she would not let anyone know how much she enjoyed them. The Bible stories were new to Gita. She could hardly wait to hear if Isaac discovered his son was a cheat, or if Joseph was ever going to get out of the pit, or what would happen to Naaman the leper. Gita also attended Sunday school and church with her family. In fact, people thought she was a believer. But in her heart she knew the truth.

Gita cried as she left her family for the first time to go away to the mission school, but it was exciting to live with so many other girls. She didn't always do well on arithmetic and science, but she loved to read.

While Gita was adjusting to life at school, the rest of the family was very busy. Most of the missionaries were moving sixty-five miles away to the Memorial Christian Hospital. The Das family was moving there too. Since there were no houses built for the hospital staff, Gita's father had to rent a room in a nearby village. Gita's mother didn't mind that a bit. Now she had other women to talk with and a bamboo house like the one in their village.

When Gita arrived for her vacation from school, she was horrified. She had been sleeping on a real bed with covers and a bedspread on it. She had been sitting at a table to eat. How dare her parents expect her to sleep on a bamboo mat on the floor! Each time her mother asked her to help around the house, Gita was too busy reading or making lace. She wasn't going to dirty her hands and work like the village women, sift rice or scrubbing pots!

When Gita's father heard about the situation, he thought of a plan. "Take this basket and go out into the woods. Gather up a whole basketful of sticks and twigs for the fire," he ordered. When Gita returned after reluctantly obeying him, he continued, "Now go sit by the side of the road and sell your sticks like a beggar woman."

Gita's face fell and tears came to her eyes. "Listen my daughter," her father said. " We are sending you to school as you can learn many things. These things will help you as you grow up. But the most important thing to remember is this: all work is honorable. You should not be ashamed to do any honest work. Go and do what your mother asks. And never forget about the basket of sticks."

Late one night the missionary nurses were awakened by Debindra's voice outside their windows. "Please come quickly," he called. "My baby is terribly sick."

Arriving at the tiny house, the nurses could see that he was right. There were no doctors and very little medicine at the hospital the hospital yet, but everyone began a battle to save that little life. All night Gita's mother soothed and comforted her baby. Often she sang to him. Gita and her father walked up and down outside the house. Debindra often prayed, asking GOD to spare little Nidu's life if that was HIS will.

"Debindra, Gita,"the nurse called softly. "The baby is sleeping peacefully. The fever is down, and he is no longer choking. Why don't you two go home to rest?" GOD had answered prayer for Debindra.

Weeks passed after little Nidu had almost died. During those weeks, Gita remembered all the things GOD had done for her family: HE saved the baby's life; HE protected them from the terrible storm; HE provided for their needs by allowing their father to work in the hospital laundry.

What help had her Hindu idols been to her? They required sacrifices and payments all the time, but gave nothing in return. What was keeping Gita from becoming a Christian? Nothing but stubborn pride because she had declared she would remain a Hindu. She now realized how foolish she had been! After hearing about JESUS for such a long time, finally Gita received JESUS as her SAVIOR. "From that day on I have been so happy," said Gita. "And I know I will be happy forever for I have received eternal life through JESUS CHRIST."